Ashcroft sued over FBI whistleblower case (Sibel Edmonds)

[Robbien]

WASHINGTON -- A watchdog group sued Attorney General John Ashcroft on Wednesday for classifying previously public documents pertaining to a whistleblower's claims of security lapses in the FBI's translator program.

Citing national security, Ashcroft recently classified documents related to the case of Sibel Edmonds, a former linguist at the FBI. The lawsuit charged that reclassifying materials that had previously been in the public domain is illegal and unconstitutional.

The suit was filed in federal court by the Washington-based Project on Government Oversight, a nonprofit group that has been following the case.

In 2002, Edmonds told her bosses of her concerns about shoddy translations and suggested one interpreter with a relative who works at a foreign embassy may have compromised national security. She was fired soon after. The bureau cited performance issues as reasons for the dismissal.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1152&slug=FBI%20Whistleblower%20Lawsuit

wonder how fast this story is going to be silenced. Yesterday's NBC story of Ashcroft's lying under oath is no where in today's news

[Judi Lynn]

1. This shouldn't be allowed to get buried,just to save Ashcroft some trouble

He should have to bear full responsibility, just the way other Americans do, every day. From the article:

The lawsuit said that Edmonds' case was discussed by the FBI during unclassified Senate Judiciary Committee briefings in 2002. It said letters urging the FBI to investigate her claims were posted on the Web sites of Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.

Those letters have since been removed from the Web sites.

"This is an extraordinary and dangerous abuse of power by Ashcroft to improperly use the classification system to hide information that the Justice Department finds embarrassing," said Danielle Brian, executive director of the project.

The group has been investigating Edmonds' allegations and wants to post its findings on its Web site, but is barred from doing so now because of the reclassification, Brian said.
(snip)

Long live Sibel Edmonds, and in GOOD HEALTH.

[gatlingforme]

2. Ashcroft is a WEAZLE. He can't do anything anymore w/o

"re-classifying", mis-classifying, de-classifying, or shredding. that is his MO now. in the beginning he thought he could roughshod everything, then he realized the constitution was in the way, so he is now in the process of re-classifying that to "TOP SECRET"

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. Mighty fine looking spaniel!

Got the two gallon-capacity jowls, I see.

[gatlingforme]

12. LOL, yes he was a 2 gallon love of my life. THANK YOU

[Nevernose]

3. What NBC story? I missed that one...(n/t)

n/t

[Robbien]

4. This story

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=639341&mesg_id=639341

It was also on Countdown, then the story disappeared.

[robertpaulsen]

5. Kick to the top - for this story and the NBC story. Fire Ashcroft!

[gratuitous]

7. Isn't it odd?

The Justice Department gets things de-classified when the administration needs ammo to refute someone like Joseph Wilson. But someone blows the whistle on some other malfeasance, and previously public documents suddenly disappear from view!

Hey Spikey Isikoff! I know you read this site (or one of your lackeys does). How'd you like to report on some real news, rather than distorting what Michael Moore says in F911? Or is being a reporter beneath you nowadays?

[G_j]

8. obstruction of justice

just as in Watergate. .......time for an accounting.

[struggle4progress]

9. Hurray for POGO!

<snip>
According to the email that was disseminated to Senate Judiciary Committee staff, the "decision to treat the information as classified from this point forward relates to civil litigation in which the FBI is seeking to quash certain information...."
Ms. Edmonds became a whistleblower in March, 2002, after reporting numerous instances of corruption, incompetence, and cover-ups while working for the FBI as a translator. The information Ms. Edmonds seeks to bring to light through her whistleblowing would have devastating consequences for the FBI, which is why such aggressive efforts have been pursued to silence her.
<snip>
http://www.pogo.org/p/government/ga-040601-classified.html

[thecrow]

10. KICK KICK KICK!!!!!!!

[Robbien]

11. I see this story hit ABC, CBS, CNN and even Faux news sites

Wonder if it will get some traction or is this a one day story for them.

[mia]

13. In case you missed it - Sibel Edmonds video

FBI Translator: White House Had Intel On Possible Airplane Attack Pre-9/11

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/31/1616221

"We speak with former FBI translator, Sibel Edmonds, who was hired shortly after Sept. 11 to translate intelligence gathered over the previous year related to the 9/11 attacks. She says the FBI had information that an attack using airplanes was being planned before Sept. 11 and calls Condoleezza Rice's claim the White House had no specific information on a domestic threat or one involving planes "an outrageous lie." "

[ElectroPrincess]

14. Damn! Kick it into the mainstream news ... No More Kobe!?!

[Massacure]

15. How do you classify documents that are in the public domain?

Can't the media just reprint them faster than the government can seize them?